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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — a law
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mine — for digging
  17. staff — employees
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — moving air
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com